Skip to main content

Employee says they faked stomach flu for a Coorg trip. Then their boss sent them a viral reel with five words: ‘Hope your stomach is better’

The algorithm snitched.

By KD Rossly Oct 3rd, 2026, 11:45 am

Calling in sick when you’re actually switching on vacation mode requires keeping your story straight. One employee reportedly discovered that staying out of viral Instagram videos was the second requirement.

An anonymous employee claimed they took a Friday off work for a trip to Coorg, India, after telling their manager they had the stomach flu. The excuse apparently worked until they accidentally appeared in the background of a dance video filmed at their homestay.

According to The Economic Times, the Instagram reel went viral with more than 13,000 likes. Unfortunately for the employee, one of those viewers happened to be someone from work.

Their manager reportedly found the vacation video

The employee originally shared the story on Reddit’s r/antiLinkedIn, and it recently resurfaced in Indian media. The Reddit poster said that after they returned to work on Monday, their skip-level manager sent them the viral reel along with five words: “Hope your stomach is better.”

Unlike an employee who recently refused to cancel an approved trip, this getaway wasn’t on the workplace calendar at all. They still had their job after the awkward discovery. However, according to the employee, getting caught came with another consequence. Their work-from-home requests stopped being approved, as their manager reportedly no longer trusted them enough to work off-site. 

Social media spoiled the sick-day story

The Economic Times noted that neither the company nor the employee was identified and that the claims in the Reddit post have not been independently verified.

Still, having one’s online activity unexpectedly reach the boss isn’t an entirely unfamiliar workplace problem. One woman previously claimed she was fired over her Reddit posts after her employer allegedly discovered her account and confronted her about the supposed “unprofessionalism” and “negativity” she had displayed in her posts.

According to the post, they never expected a stranger’s reel from the homestay to spread far enough to reach their manager.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Filed Under:

Follow The Mary Sue:

KD Rossly

KD Rossly grew up in Asia and Europe, which probably explains why she's trilingual but still wishes people would come with subtitles. Chronic curiosity turned into a career in journalism, where she writes about everything from pop culture and fashion to K-Pop and travel. Her side quests include binge-reading, archery, unsolicited singing, and finding desserts worth crossing time zones for. She'll take her stories with a cup of tea and a good plot twist on the side, please.